"As Bucefalo, baritone Armando Contreras winningly overplayed the virtuoso farce, which was neither too lowbrow nor too highbrow. This will go down as one of the performances of the year." LA Times
 
"The easy caramel syrup of his voice grows ever richer as it vaults imploringly in prayer, and he makes compelling sense of Gonzalez's emotional landscape - a heavy combination of resentment, compassion, and duty-bound determination." Russel Janzen, Opera Today
 

Praised by the LA Times for giving “One of the Performances of the Year”, Mexican-American baritone Armando Contreras is quickly becoming a standout in the world of opera. He was recently featured in Opera America Magazine as one of the rising stars in opera. In the 2024-2025 season, Armando sings three title roles starting with Antonio Cagnoni’s Don Bucefalo with Pacific Opera Project, appears as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Las Vegas, then Gianni Schicchi with Salt Marsh Opera. Armando concludes the season with his signature role of Lt. Roberto Gonzalez in The Knock with Central City Opera. In the 2025/2026 season, Armando sings the title role in The Old Man and the Sea with Opera Columbus, productions of Zorro with Arizona Opera and Pacific Opera Project and performances with Art Song Colorado.

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